Cash-strapped tennis fans can catch the first week of the US Open for free. Over the course of four days, hundreds of men and women who didn't automatically qualify for the Open vie for the remaining 32 spots (16 men and 16 women) in the famed tournament. With such high stakes, the emerging athletes give it their all, making for exciting matches. Many players who gain entry through the qualifying event have done well in the Open, and some even go on to stardom — Anna Kournikova started her career here as a qualifier.